Breast prosthesis

ABSTRACT

A breast prosthesis and an underwire bra adapted to retain the breast prosthesis. The breast prosthesis is affixed to the underwire bra by an attachment fixture molded into the posterior (or chest side) of the prosthesis. The attachment fixture, a female plug, is complementary to a retention fixture, a male plug, molded into a loop on the underwire of the bra. The loop of the underwire is adapted to provide a spring bias of the male plug against the chest wall of the wearer for a secure and comfortable fit and to provide sensory feedback as to the correct positioning of the prosthesis.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a breast prosthesis to be worn inconjunction with an underwire bra adapted to be attached to the breastprosthesis, and to a method of making a breast prosthesis designed to beattached to an underwire bra.

Breast prostheses are necessary for women who have undergone radicalmastectomies. An acceptable breast prosthesis should replicate theappearance of the natural breast while being comfortable to wear. Theprior art of breast prostheses shows a number of attempts to achieve oneor the other of these objectives, although with limited success atachieving both. Among the problems not completely solved in the priorart include achieving a natural look and feel to the prosthesis. Relatedto this problem is the perceived need to maintain a balanced weight ofthe prosthesis vis-a-vis the remaining natural breast. This may in factbe less of a problem with actual wearers who are likely to feel thatweight is less of a concern than maintaining a natural relationshipbetween the prosthesis and the chest of the wearer. Many patientscomplain that the location of the prosthesis in relation to the chestwall shifts and there is nothing in the way of "feedback" to the wearerthat the prosthesis is in the correct position. An additional problemnot well addressed by the prior art is the method of attachment orwearing of the breast prosthesis by the patient. One common solution isto attach the prosthesis directly to the chest of the patient withadhesives. This is obviously an uncomfortable solution and not alwayseffective. Furthermore, a tight adhesive fit to the chest traps heat andprevents ventilation of the skin surface. Another common answer is toplace the prosthesis in a pocket of a bra. This is also not a completeanswer as the prosthesis may shift out of position within the bra, and,even if securely placed in the bra, does not have a natural feel to thewearer since it does not maintain its position with respect to the chestas is true of a natural breast.

It is known to use male and female connector snaps in conjunction with abreast prosthesis. U.S. Pat. No. 5,116,370 issued to Foglietti on May26, 1992 for "Breast Prosthesis with Female and Male Adapter Snaps"discloses implantable breast prostheses which allows the stacking ofimplants "without fear of slippage and subsequent cosmetic deformity."While used in conjunction with breast prostheses, the Foglietti deviceis not used in conjunction with an external breast prosthesis nor inconjunction with a fixture for retaining the external breast prosthesisin a natural position through the use of a modified underwire bra.

It is also known to employ a spring-like underwire system in conjunctionwith a bra. U.S. Pat. No. 4,245,644 issued to Evans on Jan. 20, 1981 for"Breast Prosthesis or Augmenting Form Including Spring-Mass System"discloses a cantilevered spring support system for use in conjunctionwith a breast prosthesis or in a conventional bra to enhance naturalbreast movement. A weight is provided on the cantilevered spring forenhancing the movement effects of natural or prosthetic breasts. WhileEvans discloses a spring-like underwire system used in conjunction witha bra and breast prosthesis, the spring of Evans does not perform anyfunction related to retaining a breast prosthesis or to providing anatural feel to the wearer of the breast prosthesis. In particular,Evans does not disclose a plug formed into the underwire spring forattachment to the breast prosthesis, nor the use of a spring to providesensory feedback to the wearer concerning the location of the breastprosthesis in relation to the chest wall.

There are a number of patents related to the use of adhesive or hook andloop fasteners for affixing a breast prosthesis to the skin of thewearer or to a bra, such as U.S. Pat. No. 5,071,433. This and similarpatents are not considered relevant to the present invention other thanto describe the general state of the art in breast prosthesis fixationmeans.

There are also a number of patents related to breast prostheses ingeneral; for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,845,507; 4,826,501; and5,066,302; in methods of forming breast prostheses; for example, U.S.Pat. Nos. 4,364,880; 4,600,551; 4,401,492; 5,035,758; and 5,352,307; andin bras for use in conjunction with breast prostheses; for example, U.S.Pat. Nos. 4,024,876; 4,369,792; 4,637,398; and 4,699,144. These patentsare likewise considered relevant to the general state of the art but notparticularly to the present invention.

The prior art does not show a breast prosthesis formed with a posteriorfemale plug connector. Nor does the prior art show a male plug connectorformed into an underwire bra for use in conjunction with a breastprosthesis. Further, the prior art does not show a male plug connectorformed into a loop of underwire assembled into a bra for use inconjunction with a breast prosthesis. Finally, the prior art does notshow a plug connector for a breast prosthesis in conjunction with a loopof underwire to act as a spring to assist in the natural retention ofthe breast prosthesis against the skin of the chest wall of the patientand to provide natural sensory feedback of the proper location of thebreast prosthesis in relation to the chest wall.

These and other problems and disadvantages of the prior art are overcomeby the present invention as described below.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention comprises two main components: a breast prosthesisand an underwire bra adapted to retain the breast prosthesis. The breastprothesis is preferably made using the technique disclosed in U.S. Pat.No. 5,376,323, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein byreference, by the inventor of the present invention as described morefully below. The breast prosthesis is advantageously formed to match theremaining natural breast in shape, skin tint, etc. The breast prothesisis hollow with the thickness of the walls varied as necessary to providean acceptable firmness and resilience. The thickness of the walls mayvary from one part of the prothesis to another as necessary to impartthe desired mechanical properties. In addition, the breast prothesis maybe filled with materials to alter the weight, resilience and othercharacteristics of the prothesis. For example, a saline solution may beinjected into the hollow of the prosthesis in order to adjust the weightof the prosthesis to match the weight of the remaining natural breast orto match the perceived weight of the natural breast or to adjust theweight of the prosthesis for a comfortable sensation to the wearerwithout regard to the actual weight of the natural breast. A foammaterial may be added to the hollow of the breast prothesis in order toadjust both the weight and resilience of the prosthesis. The firmnessand resilience of the prosthesis may also be adjusted by the addition ofan amount of air at slightly greater than atmospheric pressure. Theaddition of any material, including air, saline solution or othersubstance, may be effected though a self-sealing valve imbedded in theprosthesis. Such self-sealing valves are well known in the art; forexample, see the self-sealing valve disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.5,019,101, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.It is desirable to place the valve in an inconspicuous location on thebreast prosthesis. In the preferred embodiment of the present inventionthe valve is located on the back side of the prosthesis within anattachment fixture to be described more fully below. The valve may beembedded in the material of the breast prosthesis and covered with roomtemperature vulcanizable silicone (RTV), such as Silastic (Reg.trademark of Dow Corning) or similar material to completely seal itwithin the material of the breast prosthesis.

The breast prosthesis may be custom made for a particular patient or maybe of a standard type. In the latter case, a range of sizes and shapesmay be employed to assure a compatible version for each individualpatient. Using the technique of U.S. Pat. No. 5,376,323, the breastprosthesis is formed as follows: A two-part mold is prepared to form thebreast prosthesis. The mold is injected with RTV silicone. The mold andRTV silicone is maintained at a fixed temperature for a known period oftime to allow a vulcanized layer of RTV silicone to form adjacent to thesurfaces of the mold. The prosthesis is then removed from the mold andthe remaining unvulcanized RTV silicone expressed from the interior ofthe prosthesis to form a hollow.

A mold is taken of the patient's torso to ensure the proper shape forthe posterior side of the breast prosthesis. The anterior of the breastprosthesis may be a mirror image of the patient's remaining naturalbreast produced by techniques well known in the art or a standard moldmay be used to produce the shape of the anterior of the prostheticbreast. The shape of the chest side of the breast prosthesis ispreferably convex as is known in the art to avoid direct contact withthe skin which inhibits proper ventilation of the skin surface. Only theperiphery of the breast prosthesis actually touches the skin of thewearer. The periphery is "feathered-out" so as to blend in with the skinof the wearer. By careful attention to skin coloring and other factors,the breast prosthesis may be manufactured to give a naturalisticappearance. It should be understood that the present invention is notlimited to breast prostheses made in this manner however. Breastprostheses manufactured by other techniques may be readily employed inthe practice of the present invention.

The breast prosthesis is affixed to the underwire bra by an attachmentfixture molded into the posterior (or chest side) of the prosthesis. Theattachment fixture, a female plug, is complementary to a retentionfixture, a male plug, on the underwire bra. An example of an underwirebra is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,215,494, the disclosure of which inincorporated herein by reference. In the preferred embodiment, theattachment fixture is formed into the posterior of the prosthesis as anindentation with a ridge around the rim of the indentation. (Theself-sealing valve mentioned above is located at the bottom of theindentation.) Since the prosthesis is formed from a flexible plasticmaterial, it may readily be seen that the attachment fixture is elasticenough to accept and hold a complementary shape in the nature of a plug.A retention fixture formed in a shape complementary to the attachmentfixture is affixed to the underwire bra in a manner described below. Theretention fixture is also formed of a flexible elastic material, such asRTV silicone so that the retention fixture, when inserted into theattachment fixture, is removably locked into position and thereby thebreast prothesis is removably locked to the underwire bra. In use thewearer simply dons the underwire bra in a normal fashion. The cup, whichis adapted to receive the breast prosthesis is lowered, thereby exposingthe retention fixture on the underwire bra. The breast prosthesis isfixed into position by "plugging" the retention fixture into theattachment fixture. The cup of the bra may then be positioned to coverthe breast prosthesis and the strap assumed over the shoulder. Removingthe breast prosthesis is simply the reverse of the steps describedabove.

The underwire bra is adapted to receiving and retaining the breastprosthesis as described following. A typical underwire bra uses a wireas structural element of the bra. The underwire typically runs under thelower edge of the bra where it is affixed to the material of the bra.The underwire is shaped to the torso of the wearer and provides supportand shaping to the breasts. In the preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, the underwire is shaped normally under the natural breast.However, for the prosthesis, the underwire is formed with a loop to holdthe retention fixture. The center of the loop is placed so as to centerthe breast prosthesis in a natural position. Furthermore, the underwireloop is shaped so as to gently press against the chest of the wearer soas to provide tactile feedback regarding the presence of the prosthesisin the correct position on the chest wall. This gentle pressure alsoensures that the prosthesis is less likely to slip out of the correctposition, further contributing to the sense of security of the wearer.

The underwire and retention fixture are formed in the following manner.A two piece mold is used to form the retention fixture. The lower moldforms the shape complementary to the attachment fixture. The upper moldmay be formed from a cast taken of the torso of the wearer so that theportion of the retention fixture formed by the upper mold fits exactlyagainst the contours of the portion of the chest of the user where theprosthesis is intended to be located. The underwire is formed with aloop at the point where the retention fixture is to be located. Theunderwire loop is placed into the lower mold where it is held inposition by a pair of grooves cut into the side of the mold. The uppermold is placed into position on the lower mold. A quantity of RTVsilicone is injected into the mold and maintained for a period of timeto allow the silicone to harden. It should be understood that theunderwire loop is completely embedded in the hardened silicone so thatno part of the underwire loop contacts the chest of the wearer. Acertain amount of shaping of the underwire by eye is possible while theunderwire is in the mold. For example, the wire may be shaped toprovided the spring action described above to hold the retention fixtureagainst the chest of the wearer.

After the silicone has hardened, the mold is opened and the retentionfixture and underwire are removed. The retention fixture may be annealedto improve its toughness. The final shaping of the underwire is done byhand on a torso cast of the chest of the wearer to ensure that the shapeof the underwire is correctly adapted to the contours of the wearer'storso and to provide the requisite degree of "springiness" of theunderwire loop embedded in the retention fixture. To ensure that theunderwire loop is shaped to provide the correct amount of pressureagainst the chest of the wearer, the torso cast may be modified from theactual shape of the patient's chest to provide for a slight depressionin the cast at the correct position. When the underwire loop is shapedto the depression, it must necessarily provide a degree of pressure whenthe underwire bra and prosthesis are worn by the patient. The underwirewith the molded-in retention fixture is then incorporated into the brain the conventional fashion with the exception that the underwire loopand retention fixture are not enclosed within the material of the bra asis the case with the remaining conventional portion of the underwire.The back of the retention fixture, however, may be provided with acotton pad or the like to improve comfort and to allow the skin of thewearer to breathe. The final shaping of the underwire may convenientlybe done on the patient to ensure the proper fit and comfort.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide for abreast prosthesis to be worn in conjunction with an underwire bramodified to incorporate a retention fixture.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide for a breastprosthesis and retention means which provides for natural placement andretention of the breast prosthesis on the chest of the wearer.

It is an additional object of the present invention to provide for abreast prosthesis and retention means which provides natural sensoryfeedback to the wearer so as to provide a comfortable and securesensation to the wearer.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will beapparent from a consideration of the following detailed description ofthe preferred embodiments in conjunction with the drawings which arebriefly described as follows:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of the breast prosthesis and underwireretention fixture of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front elevation view of the underwire retention fixture.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the breast prosthesis in section and theunderwire retention fixture.

FIG. 4 is a front elevation of an underwire bra as modified for thepractice of the present invention with the underwire and breastprosthesis shown in outline.

FIG. 5 is a rear elevation of an underwire bra as modified for thepractice of the present invention. The breast prosthesis is not shown.

FIG. 6 is a left side elevation of the breast prosthesis and underwireretention fixture. The underwire bra is not shown for clarity.

FIG. 7 is a left-rear oblique elevation view of the breast prosthesisand underwire retention fixture of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a two-part mold suitable for the methodof forming the male plug of the underwire retention fixture.

FIG. 9 is a sectional elevation view of the two-part mold showing shapeof the upper and lower molds for forming the male plug. The underwireloop is shown placed in the mold prior to the injection of RTV silicone.

FIG. 10 is a sectional elevation view of the two-part mold showing themold injected with RTV silicone.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a two-part mold for forming the breastprosthesis.

FIG. 12 is a sectional elevation view of the two-part mold of FIG. 11showing the shapes of the upper and lower molds for forming the breastprosthesis.

FIG. 13 is a sectional elevation view of the two-part mold of FIG. 12after injection of the mold with RTV silicone and after a layer ofvulcanized RTV silicone has formed adjacent to the walls of the mold.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the posterior of the breast prosthesisremoved from the mold. In section, a hollow instrument inserted into theindentation of the attachment fixture on the posterior of the breastprosthesis is shown penetrating the vulcanized layer of RTV siliconeinto the unvulcanized interior.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the posterior of the breast prosthesisshowing the unvulcanized RTV silicone expressed from the interior.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the posterior of the breast prosthesisshowing in section the use of an instrument to shape the interior of thebreast prosthesis to produce the desired wall thickness in particularlocations.

FIG. 17 is a sectional elevation view of the breast prosthesis showingthe injection of material, such as saline, into the interior of theprosthesis.

FIG. 18 is a diagram of the prior art showing the relationship betweenthe time after injection of RTV silicone into a mold and the resultantwall thickness.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The preferred embodiments of the present invention may be described withreference to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. The present invention comprises two maincomponents: a breast prosthesis and an underwire bra adapted to retainthe breast prosthesis. The breast prosthesis 10 may be constructed byany of various techniques known in the art, including the methoddescribed more fully below. In typical underwire bras, the underwire isshaped to conform to the chest wall of the wearer and to shape andsupport the breasts. In the present invention, the underwire 20 ismodified to form a loop 21 centered on the mastectomy site. A male plug22 is molded onto the loop 21 in a manner to be described below.

The breast prosthesis anterior 11 is molded into a shape which mimicsthe appearance of a natural breast, while the breast prosthesisposterior 12 is essentially convex in shape with feathered-out edges 13to conform and blend with the chest wall of the wearer. The convex shapeof the breast prosthesis posterior 12 minimizes contact with the skin ofthe wearer so as to prevent discomfort from the trapping of warmth andmoisture. The breast prosthesis posterior 12 is further provided with afemale plug 14 which is complementary to the shape of the male plug 22.While various forms of snapwise attachments may be employed to form themale plug 22 and the female plug 14, the preferred embodiment employs amale plug 22 with a circular rim 23 which is snapwise received into amatching groove 15 in the female plug 14. As will be described morefully hereinafter, the preferred construction of the breast prosthesis10 and the male plug 22 employs elastic materials so that the male plug22 may be snapwise received into the female plug 14 to form a releasableinterconnection between the two.

Using the method described below to form the breast prosthesis 10results in a breast prosthesis 10 with a hollow interior 16. The hollowinterior 16 may be left hollow, may be filled with air or other gaseousmaterial at slightly greater than atmospheric pressure, may be filledpartially or wholly with liquid such as saline solution, or may befilled partially or wholly with foam material. These various types offilling materials serve to provide flexibility in adjusting the weightand resilience of the breast prosthesis to ensure a comfortable feel tothe wearer as well as an appearance that closely mimics the naturalbreast. These various fill materials may be introduced through aself-sealing valve 17. In the preferred embodiment, the self-sealingvalve 17 is advantageously placed at the bottom of the indentationformed by the female plug 14.

In preparing a breast prosthesis 10 for use in the practice of thepresent invention, it may be desirable to adjust the thickness of thewall 18 of the breast prosthesis 10 so as to produce a natural shape andresilience to the breast prosthesis 10.

As noted above, the underwire 20 is shaped to conform to the chest wallof the wearer. It is a significant feature of the present invention thatthe loop 21 formed in the underwire 20 is also shaped so as to bias theposterior side 24 of the male plug 22 against the chest wall of thewearer. Since the underwire 20 is typically constructed from a springymetal, this is accomplished by bending the loop 21 toward the chest wallof the wearer. This may be accomplished, for example, by taking a torsocast of the wearer and then modifying the torso cast by forming a slightdepression at the preferred location for the male plug 22. The loop 21and underwire 20 are then shaped so as to conform to this modified torsocast. Additionally, the underwire 20 and loop 21 may be custom shaped byhand to provide the most desirable fit for a particular wearer. While itmay be desirable that the posterior side 24 of the male plug 22 conformto the shape of the chest wall of the wearer at the preferred point ofcontact, such intimate contact may be undesirable in that warmth andmoisture may be trapped between the male plug 22 and the skin of thewearer. To avoid this situation, a pad of cotton or other suitablyporous material may be employed on the posterior side 24 of the maleplug 22 so as to provide cushioning and ventilation.

A typical underwire bra is shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. The underwire 20 isfastened to the bra 30 using conventional techniques. As shown in FIGS.4 and 5, a cup 31 for a natural breast is conventional in configurationand essentially indistinguishable from a conventional underwire bra. Thecup 32 for receiving the breast prosthesis 10 is altered from theappearance of a conventional underwire bra in that the male plug 22 ispositioned toward the center of the cup 32 in the appropriate positionto be attached to the breast prosthesis 10 and to provide theappropriate degree of sensory feedback to the chest wall of the wearer.Except for a small portion of the loop 21, the underwire 20 is otherwiseunobservable.

The construction of the breast prosthesis 10 may be described withreference to FIGS. 6, 7 and 11 through 18. A two part mold 40 isprepared in which the lower half 41 provides the appropriate shape forthe anterior 11 of the breast prosthesis 10 and the upper half 42provides the appropriate shape for the posterior 12 of the breastprosthesis 10. The anterior 11 may be derived from a standard array ofbreast shapes or may be custom designed to a particular patient. Theposterior 12 is convex in general shape with the standard female plugshape disposed therein. The outer feathered edges are desirably shapedto the chest structure of the individual patient for a comfortable andunobtrusive fit. As shown in FIG. 13, the interior of the mold 40 isinjected with a quantity of RTV silicone. The Silastic brand of RTVsilicone manufactured by Dow Corning has been found to be suitable tothe formation of a hollow prosthesis according to the method describedbelow, which is the subject of U.S. Pat. No. 5,376,323. After theinjection of the RTV silicone, a suitable amount of time is allowed forthe RTV silicone to form a wall 50 adjacent to the surface of the uppermold 42 and lower mold 41. Unvulcanized RTV silicone 51 remains in theinterior. The amount of time required to achieve a particular wallthickness is known in the prior art as set forth in FIG. 18.

The breast prosthesis 10 may then be removed from the mold 40 and anappropriate hollow instrument 60 inserted through the wall 50 of thebreast prosthesis 10 to gain access to the unvulcanized RTV silicone 51in the interior of the breast prosthesis 10. As shown in FIG. 15, theunvulcanized RTV silicone 51 may then be expressed from the interior ofthe breast prosthesis 10.

As shown in FIG. 16, a spatula 61 or similar instrument may beintroduced into the interior of the breast prosthesis 10 so as to assistin removing unvulcanized RTV silicone, to place unvulcanized RTVsilicone in suitable areas to adjust the wall thickness of the breastprosthesis 10 and to close the opening made through the wall 50 of thebreast prosthesis 10. It may also be desirable to insert a self-sealingvalve 17 into the area of the female plug 14 at this point. Theself-sealing valve 17 may also be formed into the breast prosthesis 10by placing the self-sealing valve 17 into the mold prior to introducingthe RTV silicone into the mold.

A self-sealing valve 17 is shown so positioned in FIG. 17. Once thebreast prosthesis 10 has completely cured, filling materials may beintroduced into the interior 62 of the breast prosthesis 10. FIG. 17illustrates a particular process by which saline solution 63 may beinjected by hypodermic 64 through the self-sealing valve 17 into theinterior 62 of the breast prosthesis 10. As described previously,various types of filling materials may be employed to provide a naturalweight or feel to the breast prosthesis 10.

The construction of the male plug 22 may be described with reference toFIGS. 6 through 10. A two part mold 70 is prepared in which the upperhalf 71 provides the appropriate shape for the posterior side 24 of themale plug 22 so as to conform to the chest wall of the user at thedesired location and the lower half 72 provides the appropriatecomplementary shape for releasably interconnecting with the female plug14. Once the two portions of the mold 70 are prepared as shown in FIG.9, the underwire 20 is placed in the mold 70 so that the underwire loop21 is positioned inside the mold 70. Grooves 72 may be made in the edgesof the upper half 71 or lower half 72 of the mold 70 so as to receiveand position the underwire 20 properly. After positioning the underwire20 in the mold, the underwire 20 may be shaped by hand to theapproximate curvature of the chest wall of the patient and may alsoreceive some shaping to assist in providing the requisite spring biasagainst the chest wall of the patient. The mold 70 is then filled with asuitable molding material 74 such as RTV silicone. After the moldingmaterial 74 has set, the mold 70 may be opened and the male plug 22 andunderwire 20 removed from the mold 70. It is desirable that the loop 21of the underwire 20 be positioned in the mold 70 so that the male plug22 completely encapsulates the loop 21 so that no portion of the loop 21can contact the skin of the wearer. It has been discovered that RTVsilicone such as the Silastic brand manufactured by Dow Corning providesthe appropriate degree of strength and resilience suitable for thepractice of the present invention although the present invention is notlimited thereto. Once the underwire 20 with the molded-in male plug 22is removed from the mold, the underwire 20 may be further shaped on atorso cast of the patient. As noted above, the torso cast may bemodified with a depression in the area where the male plug 22 providesthe spring bias against the chest wall of the patient. Further shapingof the underwire 20 may be performed on the patient directly for acustom fit.

In use the wearer simply dons the underwire bra in a normal fashion. Thecup, which is adapted to receive the breast prosthesis is lowered,thereby exposing the retention fixture on the underwire bra. The breastprosthesis is fixed into position by "plugging" the retention fixtureinto the attachment fixture. The cup of the bra may then be positionedto cover the breast prosthesis and the strap assumed over the shoulder.Removing the breast prosthesis is simply the reverse of the stepsdescribed above.

The present invention has been described with reference to certainpreferred and alternative embodiments which are intended to be exemplaryonly and not limiting to the full scope of the present invention as setforth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. In combination, a breast prosthesis and a braadapted to be worn with the breast prosthesis by a mastectomy patient,comprising:a breast prosthesis having first attachment means; and a brahaving second attachment means, said first and second attachment meansbeing adapted for releasible interconnection one to the other; andwherein said bra further comprises an underwire and further wherein saidsecond attachment means is affixed to said underwire; wherein saidunderwire further comprises a loop portion and further wherein saidsecond attachment means is affixed to said loop portion.
 2. Thecombination of claim 1 wherein said underwire further comprises springmeans for biasing said second attachment means against the chest wall ofthe mastectomy patient.
 3. The combination of claim 2 wherein saidbreast prosthesis comprises an anterior side and a posterior side andsaid first attachment means is molded into said posterior side of saidbreast prosthesis.
 4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said firstattachment means comprises a female plug and said second attachmentmeans comprises a male plug for snapwise releasable interconnection tosaid female plug.
 5. The combination of claim 4 wherein said male plugis molded around said loop portion of said underwire.
 6. In combination,a breast prosthesis and a bra adapted to be worn with the breastprosthesis by a mastectomy patient, comprising:a breast prosthesishaving first attachment means; and a bra having second attachment means,said first and second attachment means being adapted for releasibleinterconnection one to the other; and wherein said bra further comprisesspring means for biasing said second attachment means against the chestwall of the mastectomy patient.
 7. The combination of claim 6 whereinsaid first attachment means comprises a female plug and said secondattachment means comprises a male plug for snapwise releasibleinterconnection to said female plug.
 8. In combination, a breastprosthesis and a bra adapted to be worn with the breast prosthesis by amastectomy patient, comprising:a breast prosthesis comprising ananterior side and a posterior side adapted to be presented toward thepatient and having only one female plug molded into a central portion ofsaid posterior side of said breast prosthesis; and a bra having only onemale plug for snapwise releasible interconnection to said female plug.9. The combination of claim 8 wherein said bra further comprises anunderwire and further wherein said male plug is affixed to saidunderwire.
 10. The combination of claim 9 wherein said underwire furthercomprises a loop portion and further wherein said male plug is affixedto said loop portion.
 11. The combination of claim 10 wherein saidunderwire further comprises spring means for biasing said male plugagainst the chest wall of the mastectomy patient.
 12. The combination ofclaim 11 wherein said male plug is molded around said loop portion ofsaid underwire.